Champions in Action: Citizens program celebrates, supports NH nonprofits

Oct. 30—Volunteers from Citizens spent Wednesday afternoon painting a mural inside the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua — making good on the bank's promise to pay special attention to the nonprofit.

In July, Citizens recognized the club as a Champion in Action, an honor that includes $35,000 in unrestricted funding, promotional support, advertising and news coverage.

Twice a year, the bank chooses a champion through a program now celebrating its 20th anniversary. The New Hampshire Union Leader serves as media partner.

Since the program was launched — beginning first in the Granite State — Citizens has awarded more than $10 million in contributions and promotional support to 367 nonprofits in several states.

In New Hampshire, 58 nonprofits have been honored, receiving more than $1.6 million. The lack of strings attached to the financial award enables nonprofits to spend it on immediate needs.

"When I speak to nonprofit executives after the fact, the common denominator around the funding is that it is incredibly impactful when it comes in an unrestricted fashion so that it's not specially earmarked for a program or doesn't come with the need for a matching grant," said Joe Carelli, president, Citizens New Hampshire.

Some nonprofits have used the money to expand their reach or to jump-start new programs.

NeighborWorks of Southern New Hampshire was named a Champion in 2008, when it used a $25,000 grant from Citizens toward expansion and rebranding.

"It was good timing for us because we were growing as an organization. We needed to become recognized more regionally," said Executive Director Robert Tour-igny.

The nonprofit, which now has 500 units in its portfolio and works in 81 communities, was evolving to reach beyond the Queen City. A couple of years after receiving the Champion in Action award, it expanded into Nashua.

"Our strategy was to be more of a regional housing provider to help address some of the affordable housing gaps in the more suburban communities and not be just thought of as an urban redevelopment organization," Tourigny said.

Crisis services

When YWCA New Hampshire was named a Champion in 2004, its focus was on crisis services to support survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Jessica Cantin, who became CEO of the YWCA in 2015, said the $25,000 grant helped pave the way for the crisis services model the Y uses today.

"Without really intentionally thinking about it, Citizens was being innovative in the sense that they were uplifting work that isn't always considered glamorous in the community but is at the same time very impactful," Cantin said.

She praised the bank for shining the spotlight on a nonprofit whose mission addresses tough truths.

"It's not warm and fuzzy and immediately gratifying — like donating Christmas presents or helping someone out who is unhoused," Cantin said. "It's work that you often don't see the impact right away because that person is probably experiencing a really challenging time in their life."

It's been only six years since Families in Transition was named a Champion in Action, but the Manchester nonprofit has grown dramatically since then.

In 2017, it merged with New Horizons, another nonprofit that was providing housing, food and other services to the homeless and other people in need. That year, the nonprofit also was contracted by the state to take over transitional housing after the financial collapse of Serenity Place, an addiction treatment center in Manchester.

"We now do the adult emergency shelter program, and we also have what's now supportive housing that was Angie's Shelter at the time," said Stephanie Savard, chief external relations officer.

Last year, the nonprofit provided affordable housing and emergency shelter to more than 1,500 people, including nearly 200 families.

Families in Transition invested its $35,000 Champion funds to help support its family emergency shelter.

"It really was a way to anchor the supportive services and emergency shelter that we offer for that program," Savard said.

Needs remain

The battles continues for veteran Champions.

For 30 years, NeighborWorks has been addressing the need for affordable housing in New Hampshire — a need that has become more acute as the state struggles to provide enough housing to attract and retain workers.

"For the longest time we were all by ourselves beating the drums around needing more housing inventory, specifically more affordable housing. And now it's affecting everybody," Tourigny said. "I guess the silver lining to the gray cloud is it's got everybody's attention.

"But the problem is, it's 10 times more challenging than it's ever been because costs are at an all-time high, demand is at an all-time high," he said.

Families in Transition, which holds its annual fundraiser breakfast Nov. 22 at the DoubleTree hotel in Manchester, faces rising demands — and rising costs — for its services, Savard said.

YWCA New Hampshire operates out of a building that is more than a century old.

"I think the biggest challenge that we're facing right now is being able to increase our operational funding support, being able to ensure that all the communities that need our support that we can reach them through them understanding what our program and services are," Cantin said.

Champion credentials

When Citizens selects recipients for the Champion in Action award, it examines a nonprofit's fiscal strength, community impact, board effectiveness and volunteer base.

Carelli, the Citizens New Hampshire president, has worked for the bank for 30 years and has been involved in the Champion in Action program since its inception. He has learned firsthand about the work of New Hampshire's nonprofits.

With each cycle, the program has a specific focus area. Girls Inc., a Champion in 2021, was chosen for its work in mental health support and education.

"Sharron McCarthy, who is the executive director, was really walking us through how in the depth of COVID, this program that they put together was really helping young girls overcome some of the social challenges of the COVID impact," he said. "It's really incredibly fulfilling to see how these dollars have been put into action."

Mike Cote is senior editor for news and business. Contact him at mcote@unionleader.com or 206-7724.